I’ve always wanted to go to Iceland. The language is reminiscent not just of the Norse of my Viking ancestors but also, I think, of elves. I probably imagined going in summer, but the opportunity arose to go with my friend Annie in January and I couldn’t say no. Of course, it would be dark – the shortest day, on the winter solstice, sees the sun rise for less than four hours – but that can be pretty special too.

Although it’s included within Europe, it feels quite far off, and even starts to approach the US – Reykjavik is three hours away from London and just under six from New York. In fact, Iceland sits on the boundary between the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans as well as between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. It’s a volcanic island that is also a hot spot, where high heat causes rock to melt and become magma, which erupts and results in chains of volcanoes, also seen in the Hawaiian islands. The fabulously named Eyjafjallajökull of course famously erupted in 2010, causing huge clouds of ash, which disrupted air travel in the region for a week. Iceland is part of the mid-Atlantic ridge, which is otherwise mostly under water. Since the island is relatively young in geological terms, there’s no coal or oil and so Iceland has in effect been “forced” to go green, with 25% of its electricity generated from six geothermal plants and 75% from hydroelectric dams.

Watch my little video of our Icelandic adventures to get you in the frozen mood:

Reykjavik is the world’s northernmost capital and in fact sits on the North American plate. Around two-thirds of the country’s population live in the capital region, about half of whom live in the city itself. It’s thought to be the site of the first settlement in the 9th century. There’s an all-pervasive eggy smell because of the sulphur, but I suppose you soon get used to it if you live there!

We had considered renting a car but the idea of two girls driving around in the cold and dark didn’t really appeal so we agreed to book onto a couple of tours. The most popular and classic route for tourists is the Golden Circle, which takes you from Reykjavik into central Iceland to visit the waterfalls Faxi and Gullfoss, the geysers of Haukadalur, and the national park Þingvellir (anglicised Thingvellir). All the scenes in my little video are from this tour.

Of course, another appeal of going so close to the Arctic Circle in winter is a chance to see the magical Northern Lights. I had always said that I would never recommend a tour that “just” chases the aurora, as it’s just too disappointing in the quite likely event that you don’t see them. Since it’s hard to see them in the city, though, and I wasn’t about to drive out into the darkness, we did choose to do a tour and, alas, saw very little of the lights. We did, however, drive around in the freezing cold for six hours, coming back at 1am, so that was an adventure in itself. Oh and they gave us hot chocolate and vodka as consolation.

The final “must-do” in Reykjavik is to visit the Blue Lagoon. This is a geothermal spa, “one of the 25 wonders of the world” according to the website. This was an amazing experience, very unusual and very relaxing… but I have to say that the logistics of it all were terrible. Despite having pre-booked our tickets (a must as this really is very popular), we still had to queue outside in the cold and then the tiny changing rooms were pure chaos. Luckily all that was forgotten as we relaxed into the hot water and drank our prosecco. It’s a tough life…

Reykjavik

The Sun Voyager sculpture, Sólfarið, is not a Viking ship but “a dream boat and ode to the sun” (according to Wikipedia and other tourist sites).Our airbnb host had actually photographed the Harpa Concert Hall to celebrate the opening in a beautiful book he showed us when we arrived. It houses the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the Icelandic Opera.If it’s the same as in Swedish, “stig i” means “step in”. Err no, thanks, I’d rather not… The harbour was full of fishing boats and tour boats to take you out for whale watching during the day or Northern lights chasing at night.The view through the clock tower of the Hallgrimskirkja, a modern cathedral built in the 1980s

The Golden Circle

I didn’t know where to look as the sun rose over the snowy landscape on the morning of our Golden Circle tour.Do you wanna build a snowman?Faxi waterfall on the Tungufljót River, which is a popular place for kayaking. Maybe next time!…and the paparazzi trying to get that perfect shot.The even more impressive Gullfoss Waterfall. Following failed attempts to use it to generate electricity, the waterfall is now protected by the state. It was COLD up here.Windswept and frozen but still smiling as we pose by the Gullfoss Waterfall in as many layers as we could find.The original geyser, Geysir, is dormant, but its active little brother Stokkur is a popular tourist attraction. Talk about watching the pot boil……but it did, without fail, every 5-10 minutes (watch the video above for the moment when the big bubble forms on the surface, it’s gorgeous!).Fancy a bit of a rest? I jest, but on the way back we saw a couple sitting there. Brr!The small Icelandic horses are descended from ponies brought to Iceland by Norse settlers in the 9th and 10th centuries. You can do horseback riding tours around the country.Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park encompasses a rift valley that separates the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, marking the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It also contains the site of the Alþingi (Althing), the original Icelandic Parliament, which met here from the 10th century through to the 18th.I felt like I was walking through the set of Game of Thrones. Winter is definitely coming…

The Northern Lights

Well, look carefully at the sky above the mountain and you can see the hint of something green!

The Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon opened on our last day in Iceland, after having been closed for construction work. My favourite thing, apart from the prosecco, was watching big butch men apply the clay mask to their faces. Pure joy.The obligatory selfie at the Blue Lagoon. We were incredibly relaxed after soaking in the hot water and sipping on our prosecco. Any longer, though, and we would have shrivelled up!

The Practical Bit

Flights: We flew with Iceland Air at £150 for a return. Although the flights were quite cheap, you still need to budget for the expensive restaurants and any tours that you’ll want to do.

Buses: Take the Flybus shuttle from the airport to the Reykjavik bus terminal, and add on the Flybus+ if you want to be taken on to your hotel from there.

Hallgrimskirkja: I definitely recommend visiting this church. Admission to the tower costs 900 ISK (100 ISK for children) and gives you a 360 view of the city and beyond.

Golden Circle Tour: We went with GeoIceland. It was a small bus group and the driver and guide was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable.

Northern Lights Tour: For the Northern lights, I had the idea that it would be better to go in a small group, to really be able to enjoy the aurora and to take my time photographing them with my tripod. We therefore chose to go with SuperJeep, sharing the car with a lovely American couple. With hindsight, since there is a big chance that you won’t see them at all, it might be better to go for a cheaper bus tour after all! In theory if you don’t see them then they will take you out again the next night – that’s why you should book the tour for one of the first days of your trip. In our case, however, the subsequent days all saw bad weather which meant that the tours were all cancelled.

Blue Lagoon: Book your tickets ahead on the Blue Lagoon site. There are a number of different ticket options available, we got “Comfort” for 55€ and this included a towel and a little sample product kit. Oh, and a drink from the in-lagoon bar! We took the Flybus shuttle from Reykjavik to the Blue Lagoon and then continued straight on to the airport (there is storage for your luggage at the spa) – you can also do it the other way, going to the Blue Lagoon on arrival and then continuing on to Reykjavik at the start of your stay.

Airbnb: We stayed in a gorgeous (and warm!) flat in the centre of Reykjavik. Use this link to book your stay here, or anywhere else in the world, and you’ll get a £14 discount.

Restaurants: I mentioned that the restaurants were expensive and we didn’t even make it to the top recommendations. The main street in Reykjavik is Laugavegur and it is full of cafés and restaurants. You can also head off onto the side streets. My favourite was Smakk Barinn, where “Icelandic tapas” was served in little jars. Another gorgeous one was Gló, a vegan-friendly restaurant serving healthy but delicious food. Of course, staying in an airbnb means that you can also cook at home.

When you’re sitting on a chair lift with the wind and hail whipping at your face and you can’t see a foot in front of you, you have to ask yourself: why are you doing this? Not to mention when you’re at the edge of a precipice looking down at the steep, icy piste that you’re about to throw yourself down. The whole experience of skiing, at least for those of us who weren’t given a pair of skis at age three, is terrifying.

There’s something incredibly powerful, however, about going ahead despite the fear, pushing yourself through the discomfort. Of course, you could stay on the blue pistes (the easy ones), you could snow plough, you could even stay at home if you want – but you’d be missing out! Keep raising the bar, take some lessons, continue to push yourself… and you’ll be rewarded as you get better and better and you can enjoy all the benefits that come with the experience of skiing.

Here’s what I’ve learned from a week of throwing myself down the Swiss mountains – in spite of my very real fears!

1. It gets easier the more you do it

The first time you do something – the first day you’re on your skis, the first time you try a steep run, the first time you go off piste – you think you’ll never be able to do it. The second time, you know you’ve already done it once. And again and again until it becomes part of what’s within your comfort zone. Then, of course, you raise the bar further…

2. The more confident you are, the better

When you’re skiing, especially when you’re skiing in powder, your fear will try to protect you, making you lean backwards – but in fact the best thing you can do is stay upright and attack the slope with conviction. At some point you have to believe that you can do it. Point your skis downhill, and just go!

3. You feel great when you see what you’ve accomplished

Yes it’s terrifying to go hurtling down a mountain, and yes you may doubt your abilities the whole time; but you will make it down, one way or another, and when you do, you can look back up the piste with great satisfaction at what you’ve just conquered.

4. You have to manage on your own

Once you’ve started down a piste, there’s no going back. You’re completely and utterly on your own. Your friends or ski instructor can cheer you on, they can give you moral support – but they can’t actually help you. You have to suck it up and get on with it.

5. When you fall, you have to get back up again

You’re going to make mistakes, you’re going to be tired, and you’re going to fall. When the inevitable happens, there’s nothing for it but to pick yourself up and keep going. Unless you’ve broken something, you’re not going to get helicoptered out of there so brush off that snow, take a deep breath, and make your next turn.

6. Life is richer when you take some risks

After an intense day out on the slopes, challenging yourself both physically and mentally, it feels amazing at the end of the day when you finally get to take your ski boots off. Having been so close to death during the day makes you feel all the more alive when you go out at night! Much more so than if you had just been hanging around the house all day.

A lot has changed for me since I went to the last Adventure Travel Show in 2015. At the time, I had only been on one secret adventure and I knew no one at the show. I spent the day alone, listening to Ranulph Fiennes and then collecting brochures from all the different travel companies as I began to scheme about going off on one of their exotic trips.

Since then, although I never went on any of those trips organised by the travel companies, I’ve been on many adventures, big and small. I’ve been injected into a whole community of full-time adventurers and their followers, interconnected ‘tribes’ of like-minded people with an adventurous spirit. This year at the Show, I spent the day watching friends up on stage and chatting to those sitting in the audience beside me, while meeting many others – some that I recognised from interactions on Facebook and Twitter, others that were completely new faces.

Before (on the screen) and after (at the podium). Reading up on Sean now I find that he’s always been adventurous, but it was as recently as 2011 that he sold his business to a friend for £1 and decided to dedicate himself full time to a life of adventure.

One of my favourite talks of the day was Sean Conway and his message to #findyourbeard. A real-life Forrest Gump, he encouraged us to aim higher, to not be afraid of falling, and to take the leap. For Sean, the message to #findyourbeard is quite literal: he underwent a physical transformation from being a clean-shaven young man to a yeti in his thirties.

Sean identified a triangle of three factors that contribute to your happiness in life: money, relationships, and purpose. A lot of us forget about that last one, and in one of the round-table discussions of the day, Dave Cornthwaite echoed the value of having a purpose also for your individual adventures and travels: whether it be simply writing a diary, meeting people, taking photos, sketching… having a purpose for your trip will ensure you’re getting something out of it, something that you’ll remember for years to come.

Money, of course, is one of the biggest concerns that people have when considering taking time off work or quitting to do something a bit different, like changing to a more creative career or starting a business. As Duncan Milligan pointed out, however, “The less money you need, the more opportunity you have.” He talked about one of his first jobs where he earned $14 a day – but since he had no flat, no car, no outgoings at all at that time, he could spend all that money on beer! He was “eternally poor but experience rich”. As you make changes to your lifestyle, you’ll find that you’re spending much less money and as a result you’ll also need less. The money you do have you’ll be investing in experiences, rather than things.

It was refreshing to see so many female adventurers up on stage. You have to wonder what the equivalent ‘adventurer’ look would be for women instead of a beard?! The female adventurers I saw at the show were all very stylish…

There are other fears, too. Fears of making the ‘wrong’ choice, of things going wrong. Ness Knight talked about how she has created new neural pathways over the years: she has learned that confronting her fears will lead to great things, in a paradigm shift that has made her more confident and comfortable in all areas of her life.

Of course, it’s not all “roses and cream” (an expression rather unexpectedly coined by Dave Cornthwaite to capture some idealistic vision of what being an adventurer is all about). It will be tough at times – “get over it!” says Sean. Anna McNuff, who recently ran the length of New Zealand, told us how she has learned to embrace the tough times and in fact it has been the act of sharing these less glamorous moments with her followers that has been the most rewarding. Adventures are messy, life is messy, and the democratisation of adventure thanks to the internet and social media has allowed this real and authentic insight into both the highs and the lows.

Dave, Leon, Anna and Duncan share their most embarrassing stories from the road, including a lesson on what not to do when hitch-hiking in the Middle East…

If you’re sitting there thinking, “Wish I could do that…” – you can! Have you been considering some epic journey, a personal quest to be the first to do something; or maybe you have a goal on a slightly smaller scale? Adventures are no longer the domain of “grumpy old men” says Dave. Here are some final tips from the various speakers of the day:

Don’t let other people’s opinions of your capabilities stop you. You’re going to get people who tell you it’s impossible, you can’t do it, says Sean, and when times are tough you’re going to start believing them. Surround yourself with positive people for whom failure is not an option, and go out and prove all the others wrong.

Don’t go after big sponsorship deals. “Bootstrap it, all the way!” says Ness, and fellow female adventurers Anna McNuff and Lois Pryce agree. Borrow the equipment you need, and most importantly go because you’re passionate about it and you would do it with or without the money. Then you can talk about it and write about it when you’re back, and earn money that way.

Tackle your concerns one by one. When Anna first started questioning her office existence, she wrote down a list of all the reasons why she couldn’t go off on an adventure and addressed them, one at a time. Whether it’s a mortgage or your children or whatever it is that you’re using as a reason (an excuse?) not to go, look at them one by one and find a solution. And don’t wait around to find someone else who wants to do the same thing, just go on your own!

Recognise that it’s not all “roses and cream”. Leon McCarron shared that he probably spends eight months of the year still sitting at a desk, writing his books, doing his tax returns… Becoming an adventurer (or changing to whatever your dream career may be) is not going to get rid of all those tasks that you don’t like doing, but you’ll be more willing to do them as they are enabling your broader lifestyle.

You don’t have to go away to find adventure. There are like-minded people here in London, in your own hometown, Dave reminded us as he told us to hug our next-door neighbour. You’ll find them at events like these, talk to them and you might be surprised at the opportunities that open up and the friendships that are made. Join the Yes tribe as a start.

The Adventure Travel Show is on every year at Olympia London and brings together adventurers and adventure travel companies to inspire and educate on the latest travel experiences.

Hawaii has been on my wish list of destinations for many years. My granddad always dreamed of travelling there but never did unfortunately, and so although I had been saving it for some theoretical honeymoon I decided to go for it now rather than miss out.

And so it was that I had a really lovely chilled and still incredibly productive month’s stay in Honolulu. My hard work alongside a ten-day period of pretty hard rain (I know you don’t believe me) meant that I didn’t even go up to the North Shore, let alone travel to the other islands as I had intended. Plus, even self-sufficient old me couldn’t quite bring myself to go on a sunset cruise by myself… so I will definitely come back for a romantic trip some time!

So here are the 5 highlights of my month in Honolulu!

1. Staying in airbnb*

One of many glorious sunsets in Waikiki

The only thing I planned before coming to Honolulu, and even this just a couple of weeks before arriving, was my airbnb accommodation. A recommendation from a friend (THANK YOU EMILY!), the house was on a hill with a stunning view of Honolulu, a short bus ride from all the tourist action but with plenty of restaurants and things going on in the area… oh, and a hot tub. This was the first time, though, that airbnb was more than just a place to stay and I actually spent time with the hosts. Now this may be partly because Louise and Kahi are friends of a friend but I suspect it was mainly because they are just incredibly lovely airbnb hosts and wonderful human beings. From enjoying eating, or just watching, Louise’s gourmet cooking every night to being invited along to Thanksgiving dinner, from painting Kahi’s buoys for display at a surfing competition to feeding the chickens, staying here really added to the experience of being in Hawaii. Oh and did I mention the hot tub?

2. Learning to play the ukulele

My bucket list specifies that I learn to play “Somewhere over the rainbow” on the ukulele and on arriving in Hawaii I suddenly realised this was the perfect opportunity to do so. A quick Google brought up Roy Sakuma Ukulele Studios, who just so happened to have classes right around the corner. I had four lessons and picked up the chords pretty quickly, although hearing Roy and the other teachers play was enough to make me realise how many hours of practice I’ll have to do to sound anything like that. Well, it’s no Israel Kamakawiwo’ole (hurrah I can finally spell his name without checking!) but I did learn to play this most famous of ukulele songs as well as a bit of Jason Mraz, some Beatles, Disney and even a couple of Christmas songs. I’ve left Honolulu with my ukulele in tow and so I hope to continue learning back home.

Here’s me on my final night, just before I took my Lyft to the airport, playing the first song that I (sort of!) learned by heart…

3. Eating

It would be criminal not have a tropical cocktail or two in a place like this!

Ah food. Isn’t that the highlight of any stay anywhere? Ahi was definitely the star of the show for me. It’s “just” tuna but bears no resemblance to what I’ve ever eaten before, from the fresh ahi that I was treated to thanks to a fisher friend of Louise’s early on in my stay to a glorious Hawaiian spread including different kinds of poke (a little like ceviche, yellow-fin tuna with spring onions, seaweed, sea salt and soy sauce) on one of my last nights in town. Thanksgiving was another joy for me, already to be invited into someone else’s family at such a special time but then to be treated to the most delicious turkey, ham, and huge array of side dishes and desserts. I also did my best to have the local specialities, including shave ice – basically SNOW with delicious sugary syrup on top, in my case lychee, coconut and pina colada plus condensed milk on top (and you can add ice cream underneath too if you want to go mad) and SPAM sushi – yes, you read that right. Spam came onto the scene during the Second World War when it was difficult to get fresh meat and it’s stuck around as a local favourite. Oh and I had purple sweet potato (that one was accidental!).

4. Running

Just like in San Francisco, running has been a great way to explore the area. As I moved on from recovery after my half-marathon and started to build up my distance again, my longer runs took me through different neighbourhoods, around Diamond Head (a volcanic cone), down by the ocean, and even through Waikiki on a Saturday night. There were plenty of hills to maintain that part of my training from San Francisco too. And recovery in the hot tub after a run was always a great incentive, especially after my many runs in the rain…!

5. Being in Hawaii

Watching the sun rise after an early morning climb up the “stairs of doom” at Koko Head!

Yes, just the fact of being in Hawaii was a pretty amazing feeling in itself. It felt far from everything – just look at a map and you’ll see that Hawaii is smack bang in the middle of the Pacific (hence why Pearl Harbor was such a strategic point). And all of my friends back in Europe were asleep most of the time that I was awake! Other more tangible benefits of being in Hawaii? Swimming in the ocean, breathing in the air, watching the sun set down by the beach. Although I didn’t go to the other less inhabited islands, a climb up Koko Head on one of my first days on Oahu and then a hike up Diamond Head Crater on my last day were definitely highlights, with stunning views of different parts of the island and, always, the ocean. Oh, and the geckos! I loved the geckos…

*Airbnb: Louise and Kahi have two rooms available in the main house (I stayed in the Garden Room) plus a studio below. They even have a house that they’re renting out longer term if you want to stay for longer!

Pearl Harbor: The view from the USS Missouri across the water to the USS Arizona Memorial.

I studied the Second World War at school. A lot. We covered the rise of the Nazis through to the Yalta and Potsdam conferences that came at the end of the war and continued through the crises and treaties of the Cold War. Although we did of course cover Japan’s bombing of Pearl Harbor*, we were focused on the war in Europe and learned little about what was going on in the Pacific.

To experience Pearl Harbor for yourself, watch this short video and join me as I visit the USS Arizona Memorial and the Battleship Missouri:

Pearl Harbor was attacked on 7th December 1941, a date, as President Roosevelt famously announced to Congress, that would “live in infamy”. It was the event that brought the US into the war and probably sealed the fate not just of Japan but of Nazi Germany. In short, a pretty crucial point in the course of the war and of history.

The plaques bear the names of all the people who died at the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Admiral Yamamoto’s strategy was to annihilate the US Pacific Fleet, thus preventing them from interfering in Japan’s military actions in Southeast Asia. He attacked mainly by air (with a less successful attack by midget submarine): starting at 07.48 local time, 353 Japanese fighter planes, torpedo planes, and bombers were launched from six aircraft carriers and attacked the base. During the attack, 2,335 military personnel were killed and 1,143 wounded; the civilian figures were 68 and 103. The Japanese attackers lost 55 men.

“Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

[…]

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.”

The USS Arizona Memorial, a bridge that sits across the wreck of the ship below, was designed by an architect who had been detained at the start of the war as an enemy due to his Austrian birth. Oil still seeps from the ship below.

Today, Pearl Harbor is still a naval base, with a visitor’s centre and museum dedicated to telling the story of what happened during the war. The focus is on the USS Arizona, one of three battleships that could not be returned to service after the attack and the only one that could not be raised. One of the bombs that was dropped on the Arizona caused a detonation of the forward magazines and the explosion and its aftermath saw 1,177 officers and crew lose their lives. The names of these men are marked on the memorial built over the wreck of the ship.

The USS Missouri was saved from a fate of being dismantled for scrap metal and used for target practice.

If Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona marked the beginning of World War Two for the US, it was the USS Missouri that marked the end. The last battleship commissioned by the US – technology has since made these ships obsolete – the USS Missouri was not yet built at the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Instead it played an important role a few years later, when it housed the official signing of the Japanese surrender in September 1945.

The “kissing sailor”, a statue of that famous photo that was taken on V-J Day in Times Square.

To my ignorant eye, the Missouri looks a lot like the Arizona in the film and this made it all the more poignant to walk around on board the ship and imagine what it would have been like on board the battleships that were present on the day of the bombing. Although I chose not to go below deck – I’m claustrophobic – I did peek into the cramped cabins lined with bunk beds, where men were sleeping on the day of the bombing; on the Missouri, youth groups can now spend the night here.

Across the water, you can see the more modern destroyers and submarines in what are still the headquarters of the US Pacific Fleet.

Next March, I’m travelling to Japan and I’m going to continue this historical journey to Hiroshima, another pivotal moment that came before that official signing of the surrender on the USS Missouri.

*As you can see, I’ve made the very difficult decision to go with the US spelling here. It is, after all, a place in the US…

The practical bit

Pearl Harbor Tours: You can drive to Pearl Harbor and visit the sights yourself but given that I didn’t have a car I booked onto the Arizona Memorial & Battleship Missouri Tour. It’s basically a full day, including also a drive through the Punchbowl Cemetery in town and a mini-city tour including Barack Obama’s private high school.